image description

Thursday, January 21, 2010
Session A: 8:30 am - 10:00 am

Action Alert:  Set the Course for the Future of Organic

The National Organic Action Plan (NOAP) was drafted by the National Organic Coalition and friends following a five-year, nationwide listening project to hear the visions and hopes of people across the country about the future of organic. Inspired by the growing realization that it’s time for the grassroots to regain and redirect the path of organic, the NOAP lays out the organic movement’s vision for the future of organic food and farming. Join us for an engaging discussion about how you, your farm, business, or organization can work for organic integrity, a fair marketplace, equitable food access, sound policies and increased visibility of organics in your community. Find out how you can help roll out the NOAP in the halls of government at the federal, state, and local levels, and give feedback on the California Policy Action Network for Sustainable Agriculture’s ambitious plans to promote widespread conversion to organic farming in the state.
Presenters: Liana Hoodes, National Organic Coalition, Pine Bush, NY; Michael Sligh, Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, Pittsboro, NC; Ron Strochlic, California Institute for Rural Studies, Davis, CA.

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance

Advanced Organic Soil Fertility Topics: The Law of the Minimum and the Law of the Maximum(Double Session, Part 1)

In his work with soil fertility, Justus von Liebig discovered that when it comes to N-P-K, whichever is in shortest supply will limit yields most and as a result negatively affect crop nutrient values. On the other hand, Andre Voison’s research found that when too much of any nutrient is applied, that excess causes other nutrients to become unavailable, affecting both yield and nutrient content of the crops. The great importance of “balance” in organic production is often cited. This is most assuredly true, but how much is too little and how much is too much? What difference does it make and how can you determine and avoid the pitfalls of either situation?
Presenter: Neal Kinsey, Kinsey Agricultural Service, Charleston, MO.

Neal Kinsey is a world-renowned soil and fertility consultant, and the author of Hands-On Agronomy. He owns a soil analytical laboratory specializing in balancing soils using Albrecht methods.
Go to Part 2 “The Wise Use of Micronutrients in Organic Farming”

Back to Top

Fertilidad del Suelo Orgánico Avanzado: Las Leyes de Lo Mínimo y Lo Máximo

En su trabajo sobre fertilidad del suelo, Justus von Liebig descubrió que cuando se trata de N-P-K, el nutriente limitante, limitará considerablemente el rendimiento, y como resultado, afectará de manera negativa el valor de nutrientes en el cultivo. Por el otro lado, Andre Voison, en su investigación sobre fertilidad del suelo encontró que cuando se aplica una cantidad excesiva de cualquier nutriente, hace que los otros nutrientes no estén disponibles, lo que afécta el rendimiento y los nutrientes de los cultivos que crecen ahí. En la producción orgánica, generalmente se le refiere al “equilibrio” como algo de gran importancia. Ésto es bastante cierto, ¿pero cuánto es muy poco y cuánto es demasiado? ¿Cual es la consecuencia y cómo se puede determinar y evitar los riesgos de ambas situaciónes?
Presentador: Neal Kinsey, Kinsey Agricultural Service, Charleston, MO.
(Este taller se presentará en inglés con interpretación al español)

Neal Kinsey es un renombrado consultor en suelo y fertilidad, y autor de Hands-On Agronomy (Manos en la Agronomía). Es dueño de un laboratorio especializado en suelos usando la metodología Albrecht, Albrecht methodology.

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance

Atomically Tiny, Novel, Unlabeled & You’re Eating It:  Nanotechnology & Food

Contrary to popular belief, “nano” does not simply mean tiny. Materials engineered or manufactured to the nano-scale have fundamentally different physical and chemical properties than the bulk material from which they are derived. The same features that make engineered nanomaterials unique—small size, large surface area, high reactivity—also create unique and unpredictable risks to human health and the environment, due to the enhanced toxicity and high mobility of nanoparticles. Hundreds of new nano food and agriculture products are under development, including hamburger containers, chocolate bar wrappers, beer bottles, and a nutritional children’s drink. Broader social concerns associated with this “next industrial revolution” include furthering the trend towards industrialized food and agriculture and the intellectual property privatization of nanotechnology’s basic building blocks, even if they are derived from nature. Increase your understanding of nanotechnologies in the pipeline that could adversely impact organics and learn the basics so that you have the tools to be proactive and protect the integrity of organic. Presenters: Amy Galland, As You Sow, San Francisco, CA; George Kimbrell, Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA

Back to Top

CSAs and the Healing Force of Money (Double Session, Part 1)

Where did the idea of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) come from? How can the idea be seen as an economic model that is both sustainable and socially healing? What is the potential for transforming the economics of farming while respecting the very notion of place-based and community-based farming? What are the challenges of a CSA model? And what are the financial and social roles and responsibilities of the eater in the farm economy? This workshop will explore all these questions and will focus on the primary concepts of money and economics as an innovative way to integrate human and ecological sustainability. There will be time for dialogue and reflection throughout the workshop.
Presenter: John Bloom, RSF Social Finance, San Francisco, CA.
Go to Part 2 “What’s Next for Community Supported Agriculture?”

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance

Farmland Preservation: Beyond the Williamson Act

Protecting farmland from urban sprawl has many benefits, including mitigating the effects of climate change. Paving over farmland decreases the sequestration of carbon in soils and more heat is absorbed and retained, which increases global warming. Protecting farmland adjacent to urban areas has the benefit of limiting sprawl and associated transportation-related emissions while supporting local and regional food systems. This panel will provide an overview of the current context of farmland preservation in California. The speakers will explore visionary ideas about how advocates of urban smart growth, land trusts, and sustainable agriculture could achieve long-term sustainable farmland protections.
Presenters: Brian Leahy, CA Department of Conservation, Sacramento, CA; Terry Corwin, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, CA; Dave Runsten, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Davis, CA.

Back to Top

High Quality Organic Wheat for the Local Whole-Grain Market

California has the perfect climate for high quality wheat, yet California wheat and flour are rare in the local marketplace. High quality comes from locally appropriate wheat varieties with large root systems grown organically on good soil. It is easy to grow wheat, but not at all easy to produce the quality that pleases bakers and chefs. Sonora wheat, a landrace variety, was grown continuously in the Southwest after the Spaniards arrived until it was replaced with short varieties bred in the 1950s for high chemical inputs and irrigation. Organic dry-farm methods are difficult to apply to short wheat, but Sonora and other landrace varieties are highly suited to this climate. These grains are finding renewed appreciation for their disease resistance, drought tolerance and suitability for organic agriculture. Speakers will discuss the process of bringing back historical wheat, a story that is also relevant to neglected varieties of rye, barley, rice, oats, teff, and other grains. Learn how to select locally appropriate heritage grains and what growing conditions lead to high quality.
Presenters: Milt McGiffen, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA; Ed Sills, Pleasant Grove Farms, Pleasant Grove, CA; Monica Spiller, Whole Grain Connection, Los Altos CA; Giles Waines, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA.

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance

How to Have a Beautiful Farm

According to Barbara Damrosch,writer, horticultural expert and partner in Four Season Farm of Harborside, Maine, the same principles that make for healthy plants and good yields also make for an attractive farm landscape. She will explain how aesthetics and productivity can coexist on a small vegetable farm, illustrating how these principles are applied at the farm she shares with her husband Eliot Coleman. This is not about planting marigolds!
Presenter: Barbara Damrosch, Four Season Farm, Harborside, ME.

Back to Top

Plant Breeding and Climate Change Adaptation

Plant breeders around the world face perhaps their biggest global challenge yet in the form of environmental stresses brought by climate change. The response of the biotechnology industry to this challenge is to promise genetically engineered (GE) plants that will be heat-resistant, drought-tolerant, and salt-tolerant, or will utilize nitrogen more efficiently. However, there are significant technological barriers to delivering on this promise. In contrast, great strides are being made in traditional plant breeding to develop stress-tolerant crops of all kinds. This panel will deconstruct the myths associated with the biotech industry’s ability to provide sustainable solutions to climate adaptation. The speakers will also describe the advances in plant breeding that farmers around the world will rely on in a climate-altered future.
Moderator: Renata Brillinger, California Climate and Agriculture Network, Occidental, CA.
Presenters: Douglas Gurian-Sherman, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC; Wes Jackson, The Land Institute, Salina, KS; Theresa Podoll, Prairie Road Organic Farm, Fullerton, ND.

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance

Finanzas Para Pequeñas Granjas y Flujo de Caja Estacional

Concéntrese en las mejores prácticas para balancear los altibajos del flujo de caja estacional con financiamiento apropiado, sin acabar en quiebra. Los agricultores tendrán la oportunidad de emprender un diálogo franco sobre el balanceo del flujo de caja estacional con gastos para todo el año. ¿Cuáles son las opciones más adecuadas para manejar el capital? ¿Cuál es la interacción entre el flujo de caja y el manejo de riesgo global? ¿Cuáles son algunos ejemplos de prestamistas que ejercen las mejores prácticas en el financiamiento de pequeñas granjas? ¿Cuáles nuevas herramientas de financiamiento de los proyectos de ley agrícolas están entre los mejores de hoy en día? Asista a esta activa conversación para intercambiar ideas con los panelistas y participantes.
Presentadores: Ann Baier, el Centro Nacional para la Tecnología Apropiada, Santa Cruz, CA; Poppy Davis, Agencia de Manejo de Riesgo del USDA, Washington, DC; Enoy Guevara, Agencia del Servicio Agrícola del USDA, Salinas, CA; y Francisco Serrano, Agricultor Orgánico, Watsonville, CA.
(En español con interpretación limitada al inglés.)

Back to Top

Small Farm Finance and Seasonal Cash Flow

Zero in on the best practices for using appropriate financing for balancing the ups and downs of seasonal cash flow without hitting zero. Farmers will have the opportunity to engage in frank dialogue on balancing seasonal cash flow with year-round expenses. What are the most suitable options for operating capital? What is the interplay of cash flow and overall risk management? What are some examples of lenders exercising best practices in small farm finance? What are the best and brightest among the new Farm Bill financing tools? Attend this active conversation to exchange ideas among panelists and participants.
Presenters: Ann Baier, ATTRA, Santa Cruz, CA; Poppy Davis, USDA Risk Management Agency, Washington, DC; Enoy Guevara, USDA Farm Service Agency, Salinas, CA; Francisco Serrano, Organic Farmer, Watsonville, CA. (In Spanish with limited English interpretation.)


Click here to Download Pre-Conference Registration Form to mail or fax

Back to Top
Back to Conference At A Glance